Magnetic reflective toy



Nov. 16, 1948.

Patented Nov. 16, 1948 pairs!) STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a toy and more .particularly to a bedtime toy, particularly for children who are confined to bed by illness.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple toy whereby shadow images can be projected against the ceiling of a darkened bedroom and which can be easily manipulated by small children so as to form an attractive bedtime toy and which is also adapted for the entertainment and education of children who are confined to bed through illness.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a toy in which the shadow image can readily be changed at will by the child so that the child can select the forms which are most interesting.

Another object is to provide such a toy which is durable and can be used by very young children and which at the same time is of pleasing and interesting appearance and can be used as an educational toy.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a toy embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

The toy is in the form of a doll having a body 5, which serves as the handle. for the toy, a head 2 and arms 3 and 4. The doll can be made of any material and in any form but it is preferably of durable construction and a feature of the invention resides in the body I being in the form of an elongated handle whereby the doll can readily be held in a generally upright position by a child lying in bed.

The forearm of the arm 3 is shown as directed upwardly and as supporting the circular base 5 of a disc 6, the disc 6 thereby having generally the appearance of a large horizontal tray being carried overhead by the doll. On top of the disc 6 is secured a highly reflective member or disc 8 which is used to reflect the light from a suitable source, such as a hall light, in providing the shadow image.

This disc can be of polished permanently magnetized metal and is preferably magnetized so as to produce a field of the desired magnetic strength. The disc 8 can also be of any nonmagnetic reflective material, such as silvered glass mirror, or a non-magnetic metal, and backed by a permanent magnet in the base 5. A selection of relatively non-reflective pieces 9 of different forms is provided with the doll to produce different shadow images, the piece 9 shown being in the form of a star, and it Will be understood that the other pieces can be of an endless thereto.

In the use of the toy the bedroom is darkened and the door left ajar so as to permit a shaft of light to fall upon the bed from an electric light outside of the door. The child then selects the piece 9 which he desires to project as a shadow image, and applies it to the top of the disc 8 in the manner shown in Fig. 3, where it is held by magnetic attraction. The child then catches the beam of light in the polished reflector 8 from the source outside of the bedroom door and reflects this beam against the ceiling of the bedroom. It will be seen that the projection, with the toy shown, would be a generally circular disc of light with the shadow image of a star in the center. The child can readily change the pieces 9 to produce an interesting and' educating variety of shadow images on the ceiling.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a simple and durable toy, particularly adapted for use as a bedtime or sickabed toy and which can be readily used by very young children to produce an interesting, educating and entertaining series of shadow images on the bedroom ceiling.

I claim:

1. A toy of the character described, comprising an elongated handle adapted to be conveniently grasped by a child, a member attached to said handle and having a highly reflective plane surface, and a generally fiat relatively non-reflective member having any desired shape and smaller in diameter than said reflective surface, removably applied to said highly reflective surface, one of said members being permanently magnetized and the other being of high magnetic permeability whereby detachable adherence between said members is effected by simple contact between the two by the lines of force of said permanently magnetized member, said toy being thereby capable of use in bed to reflect a beam of light from a remote source onto the bedroom ceiling to produce a shadow image of said rela tively non-reflective member. I

erally perpendicular thereto, a series of generally flat relatively non-reflective members of high magnetic permeability having; any desired shapes and smaller in diameter than said reflective surface, removably applied to said highly reflective surface and detachably held thereto by v the lines of force of said permanently magnetized member by simple contact between the two; said toy being thereby capable of use in bed to reflect a beam of light from a remote source onto the bedroom ceiling to produce shadow images of said non-reflective members.

5 ADELE L. BEWLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of tlriisspatentt 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS :Number Name Date 294,770 ,Cushing Mar. 11, 1884 303,496 "Day Aug. 12, 1884 

